University of Iowa Students Reflect on Iowa’s Law Legalizing Same Sex Marriage

Iowa Legalizes Same Sex Marriage: A Look Back at the Past Year
By Christin Meyer
Same sex marriage became legalized on April 3rd, 2009. As the year has progressed we look back at how the law has altered many Iowans lives. A poll was conducted to reflect back at how Iowans perspectives have changed with the law becoming part of our state.
Iowa was the third state to legalize marriage. Massachusetts and Connecticut have allowed same sex couples to marry in their states for the past couple of years. With Iowa becoming the first Midwestern state to allow marriage the demographics on the issue show significant differences. The survey and research wanted to determine how much the new law has affected fellow Iowans. The data has relieved many different viewpoints on the issues, through the analyzing and research many categories of responses have been created. The Survey consisted of 11 questions and there were 166 respondents.
The goal in the first question was to determine the amount of people who strongly support, support, oppose, or strongly oppose to the law a year after it has been in effect. 46.6 percent of the respondents strongly support same sex marriage combined with the 27.1 percent of people who agree our data shows that 73.3 percent of our respondents support same sex marriage. This only leaves 26.6 percent of the surveyors to oppose same sex marriage. These numbers were slightly surprising. Over half of the students surveyed support the legalization of same sex marriage. To elaborate on the significance of this question the next question was based on how people feel same sex marriage could affect our society as a whole. The question was stated as followed: Do you think that allowing two people of the same gender to marry will change our society? The highest response was 70 percent of the people feel same gender marriage will change our society for the better. As the numbers in support for same sex marriage are significantly higher than the opposed the outlook on this issue has become very positive.
Taking a step back into the courtroom on the day the previous 1998 law defining marriage between one man and one woman was overruled may lives were changed. Lambda Legal took on Polk County and defended six same sex couples. The defendants in the case were pleading for the equal rights in the institution of marriage. Without the equal legal rights granted by the government through marriage, same sex couples were unable to visit a sick partner, claim joint taxes, or hold onto the same last name as their partner. The surveyors were asked to respond to the legal issues on same sex marriage. When asked if same sex couples should be entitled to the same government benefits as heterosexual couples 72.2 percent felt they should be entitled to the same benefits. 14.5 percent felt the rights should be distinguished between same sex and heterosexual couples. An option for distinguishing the two different cases would be to allow same sex coupes the right to civil unions. For many of the people who wanted to distinguish benefits between same sex couples and heterosexual couples could have strong religious values or morals that do not believe same sex marriage should be allowed at all.
As the survey points out many different view points on the issues surrounding same sex marriage we also tried to define the basics of gay and lesbian people. The respondents were asked their opinion on how people become homosexual. 65 percent believe people are born homosexual, 5.5 percent feel people become homosexual because of the way they were raised, and 29.4 percent feel people make the choice to become homosexual. Taking the 65 percent of the people who believe people are born homosexual it is hard to argue that if a person is born a certain way they should be denied the legal rights of marriage.
Along with marriage, adoption has also become a huge issue. With marriage being allowed should adoption be the next wish granted? Many studies have shown that a child raised in a household with same sex couples have been deprived from having both a mother and a father show slight psychological problems. There is a significant difference in how a man and a woman interact with their children. Both the mother and the father play important roles in the disciplinary and nurturing styles in which the child raised with. Everyone is capable of being a loving and supporting parent but is there a negative side to having two parents of the same sex? 78 percent of our surveyors felt that same sex couples should legally permitted to adopt. With the number being significantly high our survey has concluded that people do feel same sex couples are compatible to raise children. The students surveyed are of the adult age and therefore have been raised and brought up most likely in a household with both a mother and a father. Without the experience of having same sex parents some argue the answer to the issue has not been successfully found.
With the final verdict declaring the previous marriage law unconstitutional same sex couples were granted the right to marry their significant other. As the six families were granted their wish many other same sex couples also rejoiced. With conclusion of the surveys data on how University of Iowa students feel about the new law the courtroom on that April day was filled with celebration. Jason Morgan was one of the defendants who responded to the new law by saying, “We’ve been together in sickness and health, through the death of his mother, through the adoption of our children, through four long years of this legal battle,” Morgan said, choking up. “And if being together through all of that isn’t love and commitment or isn’t family or isn’t marriage, then I don’t know what is.” Morgan’s story demonstrates how two people who love each other deserve the right to legally show it. Morgan and his partner have adopted children and are now able to receive benefits that will greater benefit their family. The Morgan family, along with other same gender families, together have fought their way through the legal system, and have successfully won. With a year gone by the law our survey has proved that it has had an overall positive effect on many Iowans lives.